This Butternut Squash and Spinach Three Cheese Lasagna recipe is healthy, vegetarian, perfect for the Fall and Winter season, and popular with kids! The lasagna combines Ricotta, Parmesan, and Mozzarella cheeses with spinach and pureed butternut squash to create the ultimate Fall & Winter comfort food.

This recipe uses butternut squash puree, which you can easily make by following this easy step-by-step tutorial: how to make butternut squash puree. Or, you can always buy pureed butternut squash at the store.

Make sure to use cooked lasagna noodles. Bring a large pot of water to boil, cook the noodles al dente, rinse each noodle with cold water and drain. This will guarantee the perfect texture!

I also tested this lasagna with gluten free noodles, and it works great! I used Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles – almost the whole 10 oz package.

Bake the lasagna at 375 F covered with foil for the first 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes.

With this lasagna, you will have no leftovers!

And, now step-by-step photos and instructions that illustrate how to make this delicious lasagna from scratch.
First, prepare the butternut squash filling. Using food processor, combine butternut squash puree with Ricotta cheese, milk, salt and nutmeg. Add more milk if needed (to make the butternut squash filling very creamy). Mix very well, taste and add more salt, if needed:

Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions, rinse with cold water and drain. Top the first layer of butternut squash mixture with cooked lasagna noodles without overlapping – as you can see I used 3 noodles. Use as many noodles as you need for your baking dish.

Spread half of spinach filling over the cooked noodles.

Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese:

Top with cooked noodles:

Spread another layer (1/3) of butternut squash mixture:

Sprinkle lightly with Mozzarella cheese:

Top with cooked lasagna noodles:

Spread the remaining half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese.

Top with the final layer of cooked noodles:

Spread a generous amount of butternut squash filling (the remaining 1/3) over this final layer of noodles:

For this filling, you will need to have pre-cooked butternut squash puree. Using food processor, combine 2 cups of butternut squash puree with Ricotta cheese, milk, salt and nutmeg. Add more milk if needed (to make the butternut squash filling very creamy). Mix very well, taste and add more salt, if needed.

Carolyn, no boil lasagna noodles will not work here. Here is why. I did use no boil lasagna noodles in the past with other lasagna recipes (such as with tomato and ground beef sauce and bechamel sauce), and my experience is that you need much more moisture in the sauce for instant noodles to work. The lasagna filling here is not that moist, so I don’t think no-boil lasagna noodles will work here – there is just not enough moisture in the lasagna filling to make those no-boil noodles cook through.

My response is too late since Thanksgiving is over, but I love your turkey boycott Thanksgiving! Bake it for the same amount of time as the recipe indicates. As you can see, all the ingredients are pretty much pre-cooked, you’re baking it just to reheat the lasagna the right way and to melt the cheese on top!

Sharon, I haven’t tried this recipe with instant lasagna noodles (you mean no boil noodles, correct?) However, I did use no boil noodles in the past with other lasagna recipes (such as with tomato and ground beef sauce and bechamel sauce), and my experience is that you need much more moisture in the sauce for instant noodles to work. The lasagna filling here is not that moist, so I don’t think no-boil lasagna noodles will work here – there is just not enough moisture in the lasagna filling to help those no-boil noodles cook through.

That sounds delicious! I haven’t had lasagna for almost a year, since I recently found out I am celiac; I do best when I keep entirely grain-free, but I think for the holidays I might just try this with gluten-free lasagna 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!

Yes, this is a great recipe for gluten free lasagna – in fact, I used gluten free lasagna noodles for this lasagna – that’s what you see in these photos! It doesn’t really matter which noodles to use though, both regular and gluten free ones will work!

Made this last night, its delicious!! I think the separate butternut squash puree recipe is unnecessary. I roasted my squash and mashed it up with the ricotta and milk right away (wanted texture vs. smooth squash.) Just in case people get intimiadated by the idea of another big step – it isnt! Otherwise followed the recipe as is and it was amazing! Lasagna is always labor intensive but its so worth it. Love love love!

Made this tonight and it came out amazing! Incredibly delicious and nice way to go meatless. I did deviate from the recipe slightly. In making my puree, I used butternut squash, light cream, butter and salt. I used two cups of ricotta for the spinach filling and used oven ready noodles. To add more moisture for the noodles to cook, I poured little cream in between each layer. I will certainly be making this again! Thank you 🙂

I made this for dinner and it was delicious!! I ended up using a whole (smaller) squash and a package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained. The squash purée was so tasty I was eating it with a spoon! Great for my dad who’s watching what he eats. This is a keeper!

I just made this recipe using sweet potato purée (since I couldn’t find butternut squash purée and didn’t have the time to make it) and I added ground turkey for my carnivorous boyfriend . I also doubled the recipe and cannot wait to have this over and over! Perfect Fall recipe to share with loved ones!

Loved this recipe! I made just a few changes: I added an egg to the squash mixture, and to add some more sauciness to the dish, I whipped up a bechamel sauce and poured some on top before serving. Thanks a bunch!

Making this right now. All assembled. Made my own squash puree. Also put sliced italian sausage links in because my husband doesnt believe in vegetarian! Everything looks great. Easy to assemble. Thanks for the recipe and great pictures.

I made this today as part of our thanksgiving feast. When I tasted it, my jaw dropped! It is so delicious! I believe this will be a regular in my rotation. I think it would be perfect for potlucks as well as family gatherings.
It came together easily, not time consuming in the least, and easy on the pocket.
Thus is five stars plus.
Thanks for a great dish.

Hi! I made this recipe and our family loved it! I actually film a weekly recipe review video over on my Youtube channel, where I test out recipes to see if they are family-friendly, so if you’re interested I featured your recipe here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIxA6Pwmld0

Made this tonight just as described. I wasn’t a fan of pureeing the butternut squash…I felt the end product too squishy and slippery in the end. I also found that many of the herbs I sprinkled on top, got burnt when baking…so next time I’d probably mix them in to one of the layers. Nice flavor and love the concept!!

I found this recipe yesterday and shared it with my daughter via email. We both made it last night and everyone raved (well, except for picky eater hubby who won’t touch cooked spinach or any kind of squash – his loss!) I used whole wheat lasagna noodles and they were delicious. I plan to double the amount of greens next time. All I had on hand was a mixture of baby kale, spinach and chard which worked beautifully. Thanks for such a fabulous recipe!

I made this dish and everyone loved it, I added a lot of extra cheese than said in this. And personally I felt like nutmeg really ruined the taste of what it could have been, but overall it is a very great recipe.

Thanks for the delicious recipe! I made it the other day and absolutely loved it. I could have eaten the whole pan myself 🙂
I did change your recipe a bit using cottage cheese and adding in a few extra vegetables.

I tried this but since I’m trying (yes, trying) to go Paleo, obviously, regular lasagna noodles are not going to work. I found some almond flour noodles and used them and WOW!!! It was so good!!! My roommates were floored when I told them about the noodles. Yes, I know cheese isn’t Paleo but it’s the one thing I can’t give up. LOL Love this recipe and it gets 5 thumbs up from us.

Not sure if I posted this somewhere or not so forgive me if it’s a duplicate. I made this for a house dinner for my roomies and it went over do well they want me to make it again. I picked it because one of the roomier is Vegetarian, another is trying to remove gluten and it made a good main dish. However, as I’m TRYING to go Paleo (sorry, can’t give up my cheese tho), I’d found some Almond flour lasagna noodles at Whole Foods and dieing to have an excuse to try them. They were wonderful!!! In fact, 2 of the roomies couldn’t believe there were no noodles in it. Getting ready to go shopping to get more ingredients to make this for a football party. Thanks so much for the recipe!!!

I’ve never commented on a recipe, and I’m not a vegetarian, but I made this lasagna tonight because it looked interesting. Thank you so much. This is delicious! The flavor a are so bold, but they balance each other so well. I might like this better than regular lasagna!

Most of my recipes come from those I find on Pinterest. I have never posted a comment after a recipe even though most are decent. But I made this tonight and it was INCREDIBLE so I just had to comment!!! This will be a new staple. I made it just as listed and my hubby and I just loved it. You won’t miss the sauce at all. THANK YOU!

Used this recipe as a template, utilizing whole wheat noodles, less cheese, coconut/almond milk, sweet potato instead of squash (all I had) and it was fabulous. The flavor combination was still there and I was pleasantly surprised how well it turned out! Will definitely make again as we are cutting down on meat at our house!

I just made this, following the recipe directly. While I liked it okay, I definitely would put in more spinach. I would also add the spices to the different layers, not just on top and I would omit the nutmeg; I prefer savory over sweet. Overall, it’s a good recipe and I may try it again.

So I don’t usually leave comments (and I cook daily), but had to on this! OMG this is THE best lasagna recipe I’ve ever found. As much as I cook, and as many lasagnas I’ve tried, I can’t seem to get lasagna to taste the way I like. This!? I could eat the entire pan!!! This will forever be my go-to lasagna. At first I figured it would be one of those dishes that tasted all healthy and flavorless, but it’s EXACT opposite! Hearty as any other lasagna, and the taste is magnificent. I didn’t cook my spinach, but it cooked in the oven. This was amazing. Now excuse me while I go eat the rest of the pan.

I used the no boil noodles because other reviewers said it worked. DON’T do it! The flavors of this dish are so so so good but the noodles are still crunchy! I’m very sad…will make again sometime with cooked noodles.

Hi Brittany – I’ve only made this recipe with cooked noodles and there is really not enough moisture in the ingredients for no boil noodles. It’s great that no-boil noodles worked for others, but I would stick to cooked lasagna noodles.

Love the recipe for the puree. Made this as per instructions the other weekend (I used fresh pasta sheets – only sub I made). It’s good. SUPER creamy. I think next time, I need something tangy to break through the creamy. Maybe goat cheese with the spinach?

Tanya, I am glad you liked the recipe. I love goat cheese – it should work well in this recipe. Goat cheese is a relatively thick soft cheese, so I’d use a smaller amount than 1 cup and see if I need to add more after that.

Hey!
I am so excited to try this recipe tonight. Quick question though, I couldn’t find butternut squash purée at the grocery store and want to save time and not make my own, could using a creamy butternut squash soup work in place of the purée and milk? If not where do you find canned purée?
If anyone has an answer I appreciate it!
Thanks!

I don’t see that anyone else has asked this yet so at the risk of it sounding stupid, here it is. The recipe calls for 1 cup of ricotta and it seems that both the squash and spinach have ricotta in them; is it an even 1/2 cup for each? Thanks.

This recipe was great! So creamy and delicious! I used the Barilla no cook noodles and a 9×9 baking dish and it came out beautifully. I froze the other half of my pureed squash so I can make this again in a few weeks. Going to be a new favorite at our house. Thanks!

Hi Julia! Can you make this a little bit ahead of time, even with the gluten free noodles? I would love to make this for dinner guests next Friday. It would be great to assemble in the morning then bake it later in the evening.

Made this tonight. So, so good. Prefer to traditional lasagna. Added a jalapeno to the squash mix for a little spice. Worked perfectly, not overpowering at all. Thanks for the great recipe. I will be making again. It was a hit.

Made this last night. Great recipe but definitely needs more spinach. The 1 cup cooked wasn’t even close to enough to fill even one layer. I added extra but still only had one layer of spinach. Will definitely make again but will use double the amount of spinach (at least).

Hey, this looks so good, I think I’ll make it for supper tonight! One question, I have some leftover fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary I want to use up, and although those aren’t herbs that would go in a traditional lasagne, I’m hoping they would work in this recipe as I use them when I roast butternut squash. Do you agree? And if so, at what stage in the process should I include them?

Julia,
Help!!!! I’m bringing this dish to a friend who lost his sister. His mother-in-law has diverticulitis and I wanted to bring something which tasted good and would be helpful to his mother-in-law. The final taste seemed very bland. Do you have any recommendations to spice this up???? i made a batch for my husband and I first before we are bringing over to my friend and I’m concerned about bringing it over because it is so bland.

I made this last night and not only added homemade marinara, but also used no-boil lasagna noodles, and it was freaking fantastic. The marinara (NY Times recipe for classic marina) added a wonderful–and totally compatible–dimension to it, and also made it moist enough to use the no-boil noodles. It came out perfectly. I made one small loaf pan with roasted chicken layered in for my dinner guests, and another 9 x 9″ pan all vegetarian. I used 12 oz. of spinach instead of 8, and made the squash puree in my mixer instead of the blender. It was without question the best lasagna I’ve ever made. My husband, who usually says ONE TIME whether he likes something, has gushed about it 6 times. So don’t be afraid to add marinara sauce and use no-boil!

Thank you, Maggie, for your detailed comment! Great to know that marinara sauce works well with butternut squash and spinach, and good to know that the roasted chicken and no-boil lasagna noodles are good additions, too. I am glad you enjoyed it and thank you for taking your time to describe the changes you made and how it all turned out to be! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

I was really excited to make this yesterday. I love buttwrnut squash and spinach and I thought this would be very decadent, but it was tasteless. Any suggestions to give it some more flavor. I’m really disappointed.

This was delicious. I did add a little nutmeg and some fresh minced sage to spinach layer (needed closer to 16 oz of spinach cooked down to have enough for 2 layers). Will be making this again soon. Thanks!

I made this lasagna this evening and it turned out fabulous! So yummy! Two things: next time I would have made more than 1 cup of spinach, as it seemed much too sparse spreading onto the layers – also the butternut squash puree was a lot thinner than I expected it to be, others mentioned they mashed up butternut squash themselves rather than using the puree for a different consistency so next time I will try that! Otherwise, absolutely delicious with the GF tinkyada noodles. This was even approved by a 2.5 year old and a 1 year old! 🙂

I tried this with rice no-bake noodles after reading a review that it worked fine. They were very chewy still and ruined the texture of the otherwise tasty casserole. There was plenty of liquid. I just don’t think it had enough time to cook. Regular lasagna cooks for 45 minutes, and this was only 30. But who knows. Point is, I will definitely stick with traditional noodles next time. My mistake.

Just made this with no boil lasagne noodles and it’s excellent!!!!!!!! Followed the directions fully, added a little more of the squash puree and made sure it was extra creamy, more of a sauce texture than a mixture. I boiled some water and poured it into a sheet pan, layer the noodles in every step it called for them. A little more tedious but it’s so good! I let them sit in the boiled water for about 2 min…. shook them off, and transferred them straight to the pan I was cooking the lasagne in. Thanks for he awesome recipe!